As with most overnight success stories, Hart had been working diligently for years before being cast in the made-for-television film, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996) which became the series of the same name. Since the show began, she has appeared in telefilms and had a bit part in the forgettable teen flick Can't Hardly Wait (1998). One of seven children, Melissa and her siblings are all active entertainers. Mom is involved, too, as Melissa's manager and co-founder (with Melissa) of Hartbreak Films, the company that produces Sabrina.